A river runs through it

A babbling brook can tell many stories.\nEach twist and bend of the Jordan River, the winding stream that meanders through campus, marks a new chapter in its storied history at IU.\nThe river, which is older than the University itself, was originally part of the Dunn family farm. According to the IU Archives, IU bought 20 acres of the land in 1884; three years later, the University purchased an additional 51 acres, creating the campus students know today.\nOriginating from storm runoff and underground springs, the Jordan River is actually a tributary that empties into Clear Creek. When it reaches Indiana Avenue, the river continues under the Bloomington streets for about a mile until it resurfaces south of First Street. \nThe Jordan, which was originally called Spanker's Branch until 1891, was renamed for David Starr Jordan, IU's seventh president. In an oversight by the University, the river was never officially renamed until 1994 when Chancellor Herman B Wells noticed the mistake, according to IU Archives' files.\nThis wasn't the first river-related slip-up in the Jordan's history. \nIn 1922, a group of students and faculty members created a petition that called for the construction of a bridge spanning the portion of the river that flowed through what is now Dunn Meadow. Students and faculty who tried to leap across the banks to get to their classes often slipped and fell on the wet ground. The petition was successful, and their wish was granted.\nAnyone who has lived in Bloomington knows spring is a notoriously wet and rainy time. Some students have used the swollen banks of the Jordan to relieve winter-induced cabin fever with water sports. \n"Students have been out in inner tubes like it was a lake," Dean of Students Richard McKaig said.\nHe also mentioned another springtime river tradition is service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega's Rubber Duck Regatta. In this annual fund-raiser, participants race rubber ducks in a portion of the Jordan.\nStudents also used the river as the site for the "Freshman Swim," a springtime initiation ritual where upperclassmen would dunk green-capped freshmen into the river. The freshmen would then build a bonfire and toss their caps into the fire, symbolically releasing themselves from the taunts and pranks of upperclassmen. \nA baptism in the river was a coming-of-age experience for many freshmen, but being submerged in its water has not always been such an expected event.\nIn 1994, junior John Howard was playing in the river in Dunn Meadow and was sucked into a storm drain near Franklin Hall. The accident resulted in a nearly mile-long underground water slide that ended at First and Walnut. Luckily, Howard emerged with only a few scrapes.\nMichael Valliant, systems and applications specialist at the journalism school, is a Bloomington native who took the sewer tour as well. Valliant, who has been caving since he was 12, explored the storm drain with some friends in 1988 when he was right out of high school. They prepared for the trip, choosing a rain-free day and packing supplies like flashlights and helmets.\nAt one point, the group poked their heads out of a manhole and found themselves in the middle of Lincoln Street, right in front of the police station. \n"I did it for the hell of it, and it was really cool," Valliant said of the excursion.\nThough a rain-swollen river can lead to slips and mishaps, the rushing waters of the ordinarily trickling creek can be a source of beauty for some. \nScott Sanders, an English professor who loves to watch the water rush under the limestone bridges after a rainfall, said he sees the river as a symbol of the University's beauty. \n"The campus is something of great beauty, and the river runs right through the heart of campus," Sanders said.\nThough adding to the campus' aesthetics, the river has unfortunately also been home to its fair share of foreign objects. In 1992, an incorrectly-routed garbage disposal pipe from Read Hall poured waste into the river, causing discoloration and a foul odor. \nIn fact, pollution has been a problem for the river in the past. Since the Jordan carries water from storm drains, oil and grease from cars drain into it. \nMark Menefee, assistant director for utilities at the Physical Plant, said his department has been doing mapping for storm water to prepare for new regulations. He said the University is in good shape with the regulations.\nEnvironmentalists on campus would like even better care of the river to be taken. \nHeather Reynolds, chair of the Council of Environmental Stewardship, said "It's not a ditch. It's a river. What happens on campus affects it downstream."\nOn this point, Sanders agrees. He would like to see people hold more respect for the river, despite its size. \n"It's tiny, so people think it's a toy creek," he said.\nReynolds, who is also a professor for the "City as Ecosystem" course that is available through the College of Arts and Sciences, said she would like to see the river undergo a restoration project. She said the sides are eroding, and natural banks planted with native vegetation would help stop this process. At the same time, these plants could also act as a barrier, protecting the water from fertilizers and other chemicals that may be on the ground.\nReynolds' class currently works with members of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department monitoring water quality levels in Bryan Park. She would like to implement the same project right here on campus by using the Jordan River. \nShe said it would be "a wonderful opportunity for us to model stewardship and a great academic opportunity for students."\nClearly the colorful past, present and future of this river still holds a place in the hearts and minds of those who want to preserve it.